Harbor City, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Harbor City is a community within Los Angeles
, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 24,640. The ZIP Code
which serves Harbor City Post is 90710.
. Harbor City is located at the foot of Palos Verdes
and the suburb of Torrance
; but also borders the city of Lomita
and the communities of Wilmington and San Pedro. The area near Torrance (Palo Del Amo Woods) is part of a larger contiguous upper middle class neighborhood that consists of some of the wealthiest real estate in the area. Some parts of Harbor City, notably those that border Torrance and Palos Verdes (Harbor Pines), are home to the middle class suburbs, while other regions, particularly those bordered by Pacific Coast Highway north and south and by Normandie Avenue and Vermont Avenue
on the east/west, are of particularly working class.
region. It is bordered on the north by Sepulveda Boulevard
, the east by Vermont
, the south by Anaheim Street/Palos Verdes Drive North, and to the west by Western Avenue.
s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Harbor City neighborhood statistics: population: 23,529; median household income: $55,447.
The ethnic composition is White (25.1%), Asian
(13.0%), African American
(10.7%), Latino
(48.1%) and Other (3.1%).
, granted by the Spanish Empire
in 1784 by King Carlos III to Juan Jose Dominguez. The rancho was divided and sold by Californios during the Spanish and Mexican
periods of Alta California
. After the Mexican-American war ended in 1848, many of the rancho lands were acquired by American
immigrants.
Harbor City stands as a testament to the ambitious designs of the Anglo-American creators of the modern metropolis of Los Angeles. By the turn of the century, city leaders had decided that it would be in the best interests of the city if the port and harbor areas were directly annexed. The independent cities of San Pedro (founded in the late 18th century) and Wilmington (founded in 1858 by Phineas Banning
) were then independent establishments of what would become the Port of Los Angeles
. Following the establishment of San Pedro as the main source for the port over Santa Monica
in 1897, Los Angeles city leaders argued that direct control over the port areas would be mutually beneficial by providing San Pedro and Wilmington with larger funding and in turn allowing the city to garner more revenue via the increasing port trade. The two cities were initially reluctant to join; in 1906, frustrated by the indecision of San Pedro and Wilmington leaders, the city of Los Angeles purchased a long and narrow swath of land that connected then-South Los Angeles
to San Pedro, naming the two regions Harbor Gateway and Harbor City. City leaders then threatened to build a new port in Harbor City if the recalcitrant towns would not acquiesce to annexation. Both agreed by 1909. In return, the city of Los Angeles elected to keep Harbor City as a land-locked part of the main city, linking the metropolis to its newly won ocean trading centers.
Medical Center, located along Pacific Coast Highway, between Normandie Ave. and Vermont Ave. The Hospital is across from the Ken Malloy Memorial Park, also known as "Parque de los Patos" or "the Duck Park."
operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway
, Los Angeles
, near Torrance
and serving Harbor City.
Some residents are zoned to Harbor City Elementary, some are zoned to Normont Elementary School, and some are zoned to President Avenue Elementary School or Eshelman Avenue located in Lomita.
All residents are zoned to:
Los Angeles Harbor College
, one of two community college
s in the South Bay area along with Torrance's El Camino College
, straddles the border between Harbor City and Wilmington and looks over nearby Machado Lake.
Los Angeles Public Library
operates the Harbor Gateway-Harbor City Branch Library.
stop-in center, has a gymnasium that may also be used as an auditorium. The center has a lighted baseball diamond, lighted indoor basketball courts, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, picnic tables, a senior center, and a lighted soccer (football) field. The Harbor City Childcare Center takes children from grades Kindergarten through 12.
The Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park is in Harbor City. The park has barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, a bicycle path, the Machado Youth Camp campground, a children's play area, hiking trails, a jogging path, a lake without fishing, and a lighted soccer field.
and later described as an alligator
released into the lake illegally in 2005. By August 2005, city officials had indefinitely cordoned off the lake and began to attempt to capture and relocate the non-native species. All attempts, which included hiring 'wranglers' from as far away as Florida
and Colorado
failed, and Reggie was seen to be a local folk hero, appearing in summer news stories in the weeks before Hurricane Katrina
's domination of headlines.
On September 8, 2005, a smaller alligator was found in a nearby flood channel, suitably alarming several local residents.
Reggie was once again seen on April 30, 2007 at about 1pm (local time)http://www.fox6.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4C04B940-8411-469E-BDE8-ED39EE8BF35A The alligator was described by eyewitnesses to have grown at least 2 foot (0.6096 m) long. As soon as word spread, the spotlight on Machado Lake returned, as the Reggie Watch re-commenced.
On May 24, 2007, the alligator came out of Harbor Regional Park's Lake Machado and was spotted sunbathing on land at the same moment city and park officials and wildlife experts were meeting nearby to find a method to capture the reptile. The wildlife experts wrestled with the alligator and finally managed to duct tape its mouth shut. Firefighters strapped the alligator onto a board and was loaded into an animal control truck for transport to the Los Angeles Zoo. Reggie was transported to the zoo with a police escort as several news helicopters broadcast the trip live on television.
Two books for children were written about Reggie since the news broke out.
Reggie the L.A. Gator and Reggie: My Story, written and illustrated by Angi Ma Wong
http://www.reggiethebook.com/
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 24,640. The ZIP Code
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
which serves Harbor City Post is 90710.
Geography
Harbor City is part of the Los Angeles region known as the South BaySouth Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
. Harbor City is located at the foot of Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
and the suburb of Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
; but also borders the city of Lomita
Lomita, California
Lomita is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census...
and the communities of Wilmington and San Pedro. The area near Torrance (Palo Del Amo Woods) is part of a larger contiguous upper middle class neighborhood that consists of some of the wealthiest real estate in the area. Some parts of Harbor City, notably those that border Torrance and Palos Verdes (Harbor Pines), are home to the middle class suburbs, while other regions, particularly those bordered by Pacific Coast Highway north and south and by Normandie Avenue and Vermont Avenue
Vermont Avenue
Vermont Avenue is one of the longest running north/south streets in Los Angeles, California with a length of about . Located just west of the Harbor Freeway for the major portion south of Downtown Los Angeles, it starts in Griffith Park at the Greek Theatre in the Los Feliz neighborhood as a...
on the east/west, are of particularly working class.
Location
Harbor City is located in the southern part of the city of Los Angeles, and part of the South BaySouth Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
region. It is bordered on the north by Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles, California, which stretches some 42.8 miles from Rinaldi Street at the north end of the San Fernando Valley to the city limits of Hermosa Beach, where it "jumps" east and continues on to Long Beach. It generally runs north-south, passing underneath...
, the east by Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, the south by Anaheim Street/Palos Verdes Drive North, and to the west by Western Avenue.
Demographics
In 2009, the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Harbor City neighborhood statistics: population: 23,529; median household income: $55,447.
The ethnic composition is White (25.1%), Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
(13.0%), African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
(10.7%), Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
(48.1%) and Other (3.1%).
History
Harbor City was originally part of the Rancho San PedroRancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. The land grant was validated by the Mexican government at in 1828, and a US patent validating was issued in 1858...
, granted by the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
in 1784 by King Carlos III to Juan Jose Dominguez. The rancho was divided and sold by Californios during the Spanish and Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
periods of Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
. After the Mexican-American war ended in 1848, many of the rancho lands were acquired by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
immigrants.
Harbor City stands as a testament to the ambitious designs of the Anglo-American creators of the modern metropolis of Los Angeles. By the turn of the century, city leaders had decided that it would be in the best interests of the city if the port and harbor areas were directly annexed. The independent cities of San Pedro (founded in the late 18th century) and Wilmington (founded in 1858 by Phineas Banning
Phineas Banning
Phineas Banning was an American businessman, financier, and entrepreneur.Known as "The Father of the Port of Los Angeles," he was one of the founders of the town of Wilmington, which was named for his birthplace...
) were then independent establishments of what would become the Port of Los Angeles
Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles, also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT L.A, is a port complex that occupies of land and water along of waterfront. The port is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately south of downtown...
. Following the establishment of San Pedro as the main source for the port over Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
in 1897, Los Angeles city leaders argued that direct control over the port areas would be mutually beneficial by providing San Pedro and Wilmington with larger funding and in turn allowing the city to garner more revenue via the increasing port trade. The two cities were initially reluctant to join; in 1906, frustrated by the indecision of San Pedro and Wilmington leaders, the city of Los Angeles purchased a long and narrow swath of land that connected then-South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
to San Pedro, naming the two regions Harbor Gateway and Harbor City. City leaders then threatened to build a new port in Harbor City if the recalcitrant towns would not acquiesce to annexation. Both agreed by 1909. In return, the city of Los Angeles elected to keep Harbor City as a land-locked part of the main city, linking the metropolis to its newly won ocean trading centers.
Landmarks
Harbor City hosts a hospital and various medical buildings in the Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...
Medical Center, located along Pacific Coast Highway, between Normandie Ave. and Vermont Ave. The Hospital is across from the Ken Malloy Memorial Park, also known as "Parque de los Patos" or "the Duck Park."
Government and infrastructure
The Los Angeles County Department of Health ServicesLos Angeles County Department of Health Services
Health services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...
operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway
Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, California
The Harbor Gateway is a neighborhood in southern part of the city of Los Angeles, California. As of the 2000 census, the neighborhood had a population of 39,860.-Description:...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, near Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
and serving Harbor City.
Education
Residents are zoned to Los Angeles USD schools.Some residents are zoned to Harbor City Elementary, some are zoned to Normont Elementary School, and some are zoned to President Avenue Elementary School or Eshelman Avenue located in Lomita.
All residents are zoned to:
- Fleming Middle School
- Narbonne High SchoolNarbonne High SchoolNathaniel Narbonne High School is a school located at 24300 South Western Avenue, in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles, California.Narbonne serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Narbonne serves the Harbor City area and the city of Lomita.Narbonne...
http://www.narbonnehigh.org/
Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College is one of two community colleges serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles. LAHC serves mainly students from Harbor City, Carson, San Pedro, Gardena, Lomita, Wilmington and the Palos Verdes Peninsula....
, one of two community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s in the South Bay area along with Torrance's El Camino College
El Camino College
El Camino College is a two-year public community college located partially in the unincorporated area of Alondra Park and partially in the City of Torrance in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is commonly referred to as "Elco" or "ECC"...
, straddles the border between Harbor City and Wilmington and looks over nearby Machado Lake.
Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California, United States. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the...
operates the Harbor Gateway-Harbor City Branch Library.
Parks and recreation
The Harbor City Park is a landscaped park in Harbor City. The Harbor City Recreation Center and the Harbor City Childcare Center are on the same site. The Harbor City Recreation Center, which functions as a Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
stop-in center, has a gymnasium that may also be used as an auditorium. The center has a lighted baseball diamond, lighted indoor basketball courts, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, picnic tables, a senior center, and a lighted soccer (football) field. The Harbor City Childcare Center takes children from grades Kindergarten through 12.
The Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park is in Harbor City. The park has barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, a bicycle path, the Machado Youth Camp campground, a children's play area, hiking trails, a jogging path, a lake without fishing, and a lighted soccer field.
Reggie the alligator
The Kenneth Malloy Memorial Park and Machado Lake saw a marked increase in news activity during the summer of 2005 with the sighting of "Reggie the Gator", a 6 to 10 ft (1.8 to 3 m) first thought to be a caimanCaiman
Caimans are alligatorid crocodylians within the subfamily Caimaninae. The group is one of two subfamilies of the family Alligatoridae, the other being alligators. Caimans inhabit Central and South America. They are relatively small crocodilians, with most species reaching lengths of only a few...
and later described as an alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
released into the lake illegally in 2005. By August 2005, city officials had indefinitely cordoned off the lake and began to attempt to capture and relocate the non-native species. All attempts, which included hiring 'wranglers' from as far away as Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
failed, and Reggie was seen to be a local folk hero, appearing in summer news stories in the weeks before Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
's domination of headlines.
On September 8, 2005, a smaller alligator was found in a nearby flood channel, suitably alarming several local residents.
Reggie was once again seen on April 30, 2007 at about 1pm (local time)http://www.fox6.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4C04B940-8411-469E-BDE8-ED39EE8BF35A The alligator was described by eyewitnesses to have grown at least 2 foot (0.6096 m) long. As soon as word spread, the spotlight on Machado Lake returned, as the Reggie Watch re-commenced.
On May 24, 2007, the alligator came out of Harbor Regional Park's Lake Machado and was spotted sunbathing on land at the same moment city and park officials and wildlife experts were meeting nearby to find a method to capture the reptile. The wildlife experts wrestled with the alligator and finally managed to duct tape its mouth shut. Firefighters strapped the alligator onto a board and was loaded into an animal control truck for transport to the Los Angeles Zoo. Reggie was transported to the zoo with a police escort as several news helicopters broadcast the trip live on television.
Two books for children were written about Reggie since the news broke out.
Reggie the L.A. Gator and Reggie: My Story, written and illustrated by Angi Ma Wong
http://www.reggiethebook.com/